4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Eggstatic!]

I am a little concerned about Mary, my Bluebelle. She has got a few dirty feathers around her bottom although she has always been like that, even moments after you have bathed her! Her bottom is bright red and has on occasions been bleeding a bit, i have put stockholm tar on it which means that the others dont bother her, some of her feathers have come out from around that area and dont seem to be coming back. There is no sign of any mites or lice etc, all of the girls are free from worms. she is laying well (nearly every day) and other than this she is very healthy and happy. Any ideas of what it could be and how to treat it. Thank you for any advice that is given

[Egluntyne]

Is she being pecked?

 

If so I'd recommend that you fit the one doing the pecking with a bumper bit.

[Eggstatic!]

i have sat for ages and ages and ages and ages...no pecking at all.

[Egluntyne]

It could be happening at night.

 

I had a problem with a feather pecker among my hens and couldn't for the life of me see who the culprit was.

 

In the end I fitted bumper bits to them all, and now the bald girls are sprouting feathers right left and centre.

[Eggstatic!]

thanks for your help

[Forge Cottage]

I have heard of similar symptoms with a hen that liked to sleep in the nest box, not perch. The other hens were OK. It turned out the straw bedding harboured mites or something. We use fine wood shavings. Just an idea... Best of luck!

[chickencam]

There is something called Nothern Foul Mite which can cause these sorts of problems, there is a thread on here somewhere and Claret knows a fair bit about it. I thought that one of mine might have it but she turned out to just have a runny tummy and dirty feathers, I gave her a wash and but her fluffly bottom feathers short and she has been fine since

[arowland17]

I was going to post on something similar - one of our hens had a lot of dried poop on the feathers around her bottom a week or two ago, so my OH gave her a wash, but a lot of feather were so matted they came out in his hands.

She seemed fine, but today we noticed she was a mess again, looks like a running poop that's just stuck to all the feathers, so we cleaned her again and she's all bald down there - the skin doesn't look at all sore or dirty, there's just a big bald patch that we don't notice normally as all the fluffy feahters around it cover it up.

We're cleaned her up the best we could but the long feathers were filthy, might have to have another go later once she's dried out and then we'll be able to see what's what, but does anyone know what we can do about this?

No sign of mites etc, I'll worm them both again but the other hen seems absolutely fine, never had a messy bum!

Any help much appreciated!

[Plum]

Mystery isn't it I have one like that who I wormed treated for mites etc but is still loose which soils feathers. I've been stopping her sleeping in the nest box to see if that helps but doesn't seem to make much difference. I use purple spray on her skin around the vent to sooth it and am going to try putting a bit of vaseline around there but it may make more of a mess. I'll let you know if it helps.

Have you looked for eggs at the base of feathers. I think the lice themselves may be difficult to see as they run off.